Slide 8 of 20
Notes:
This information was taken from “Bioterrorism Threats: Learning from Inappropriate Responses” by Cole in Journal of Public Health Management Practice, June 2000 (whole issue devoted to BT):
Between April 97 and June 99, 200 mailed or telephoned BT threats were received nationwide. Local ER responders treated more than 13,000 potential victims inappropriately.
- B’nai B’rith, Washington D.C. April 97: Total pandemonium. Fire department sealed off 1 block, stripped over a hundred people on the street, with helicopters taking pictures overhead.
- NBC News Building, Atlanta, GA Feb 99: Workers in office decontaminated 4x with hypochlorite prior to gaining hospital entrance. Incident involved one envelope with no dissemination device.
- Planned Parenthood, Kansas City, MO Feb 99: Cold water decon in outside tent with hypochlorite resulted in 2 serious health injuries from Clorox AND psychological aftermath.
- Planned Parenthood, Boise, ID Feb 99: Woman put in body bag up to neck after decon and not allowed to move for three hours at the hospital, awaiting preliminary lab results. Psychological implications?
